Mad Quilter: Water bottle tote tutorial

Water Bottle Tote Tutorial

I'm still getting the kids ready for school.
We bought new water bottles yesterday.
They need new water bottle totes.
I designed this tote to be very easy and fast to sew.
I'm not keen on sewing in circles, too fiddly when you have 5 to sew.
This design is pretty basic and you can vary it in lots of ways.

Measurements

This carrier is designed for an 800ml water bottle. With maximum circumference of 10 inches.
If your water bottle is a different size you will need to adjust the cutting measurements.
Measure around your water container adding an inch for seam allowance and a little ease.
Measure the height and add 2.5 inches to allow for the base pleat and seams.
so you would cut your fabric by those measurements and adjust your wadding similarly.

Requirements

woven fabric - I used quilters cotton. 1/4 meter or a fat quarter will do
iron on pellon - not necessary but adds a bit of insulation.
thread, machine, scissors, rotary cutter, rulers - the sewing equipment

Cutting

2 x 11 inch squares of fabrics - one the outer and one the lining
1 piece of pellon 10 inches by 8 inches
1 webbing strap 90cm long

All the pieces -
two 11 inch squares of fabric,
iron on pellon 10 inches by 8 inches
and 90cm of webbing.

Iron the pellon onto your wrong side of the outer fabric.
Position the wadding a half inch away from the sides and top.
Leaving the bottom with no wadding. This is so the bottle will stand up.
I found if I put the wadding all the way to the base the bottle would fall over.

Pin mark the top of the outer.
start with the center pin. Then pin a 1/4 in from the sides.
Next pin half way between the center pin and the outer pins.
This marks the position to put the handle.

Pin the handles into place.
As in the photo above.

Baste the handles in.
This will help them to stay in place when you do the next step.

Place the lining on top of the outer and stitch across the top,
catching the handles in the seam.

The handles should now be sewn in the seam.

Fold your tote, matching the long sides
stitch along the raw edge.

Make a pleat into the base of the outer fabric tube.
You do this by matching the centers and pushing in the sides,
as in the photo above
Pin it well.

Straight stitch with a 1/4 inch seam.
Finish the seam with a zig-zag stitch.

Push the bag out through the base of the lining.
Turn in the raw edges of the lining base and topstitch them together.
(I know this isn't very neat ..but who's going to turn your water bottle tote inside out to look ;))
Now push your lining into the outer bag and put in your water bottle!
(You can top stitch around the top if you want ..I didn't bother..I'm making five)